Tiger
|prereq = Blitzkrieg Doctrine: Armored Assault Force |production_struc = None |primary_weapon = 8.8 cm KwK 36 L/56 |secondary_weapon = 2× 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34 |health = |armor = Heavy |speed = 4 m/s |abilities = |upgrades = }} The Tiger is an Axis heavy vehicle that is featured in Company of Heroes. It is well known for its ability to take and deal heavy amounts of punishment as the end-game unit for the Wehrmacht Blitzkrieg Doctrine. Overview History The Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf. E, usually just known by its nickname "Tiger", was one of the most powerful tanks to see action during World War II. Conceived as a result of the heavily armoured Soviet tanks encountered on the Eastern Front, Such as the T-34/76. It completely outclassed all existing tanks in the world at the time of its introduction. It's incredibly thick armour was virtually invincible to all known anti-tank weapons at the time - even from the sides and the rear - and it's infamous "88" KwK36 gun was capable of engaging and destroying virtually all targets at ranges well in excess of 2km - there were recorded kills at 4km. The Tiger served extensively throughout the war as a battlefield superiority weapon and an armoured breakthrough vehicle. From the Eastern Front, to North Africa, to the Battle of Normandy, it was the spearhead of the German Army. Legendary tank aces such as Michael Wittmann and Kurt Knispel were born in this tank. In-game In-game, the Tiger is actually fairly accurately modelled: It's the alpha dog, with only a very few other tanks being slightly better than it. It commands heavy armour with its only real threats being the M26 Pershing and the M1 57mm Anti Tank Gun. With the addition of the Opposing Fronts expansion, this list spreads out to include the Firefly. It is only available with the Wehrmacht's Blitzkrieg Doctrine. It is decently fast (just as in real life), and armed with coaxial and hull-mounted MG34 light machine guns to counter infantry attack. They unfortunately lack suppression though, lending to them having marginal effectiveness. The 88mm main gun easily penetrates nearly all Allied tank armor, dealing fairly heavy damage: The only tank that can withstand its gun is the Allies M26 Pershing. Any conventional AT weapon will have a hard time knocking out the heavily armored Tiger (unless used in large numbers), due to the fact that even though some weapons outside of the M1 57mm and the Pershing's 90mm gun can penetrate, they do so sparingly and will usually bounce off its front armour. Tanks like the M4 Sherman, Cromwell Tank and M10 Tank Destroyer stand little chance against the superior armed and armored tank (unless used in conjunction with infantry or in numbers) making it a pretty nasty vehicle to deal with, even if operating alone. The Tiger can be an excellent heavy support vehicle for infantry and tanks, providing fearsome anti-infantry, anti-tank and anti-fortification fire. Most Axis Commanders intend to use it as a spearhead, storming into the battlefield and crushing any resistance, both man and machine. If well supported by infantry such as Grenadier Squads & Stormtrooper Squads, the Tiger can dominate the battlefield with its superior firepower and armor protection. If a Wehrmacht Commander utilizes the Blitzkrieg Assault ability, the Tiger will receive greatly increased movement speed and rate of fire, lending it a surprising amount of agility and further increased firepower. The Tiger is truly a foe to be feared. Weapons 88mm Kwk 36 L/56 The Tiger's main weapon is the tank version of the feared 88mm Flak 36 AT/AA Gun, the 88mm Kwk 36 L/56. It is among the most powerful tank guns ever fitted into a rotating turret in World War II. The weapon deals 137.5 HP per shot and has a reload rate of 6 seconds. 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34 The Tiger's secondary weapon is the predecessor of the feared Maschinengewehr 42, the 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34. Each hit deals up to 6 health, with the reload rate being only 3 seconds. It fires 15-30 bullets before it reloads again. Tips *It is possible to have multiple Tigers if your ally is Panzer Elite. Tiger wrecks can be revived by the Bergetiger even if you have called another Tiger. Veterancy The Tiger is classed as a heavy vehicle, and gains veterancy through researching Tank veterancy upgrades available at the Kampfkraft Center. If the Tiger is lost, a new one will still have these obtained upgrades. Note that older versions of the game will have a Tiger Ace available for ; this is a slightly different unit from the Tiger in the final version of the game, and does not receive upgrades from the Kampfkraft Centre as it is already completely upgraded - hence its name, "Ace". These bonuses are cumulative to each other: Tiger campaign use The Tiger serves as a formidable foe for Able Company. It was first seen in action in the last two missions during the Falaise Pocket, starting with the Autry mission. Joseph Gunter Schultz and his Tiger Ace tank along with a few other Tigers was sent to guard the escape route in this mission. Captain Schultz's Tiger tank in particular is incredibly tough as it has twice the amount of hitpoints of the average Tiger tank and is equipped with a smokescreen. It also has a surprisingly short repair duration similar to a normal Tiger tank. Able Company will usually have a hard time during this mission. During the last mission-Chambois, the German Seventh Army makes its final attempt at escaping the Falaise Pocket. When Able Company successfully captures all strategic points and closes the road the German Seventh Army sends Tigers in an attempt to reopen it. Able Company must destroy all the Tiger tanks and close the road of Chambois, cutting off the only escape route of the German Seventh Army. Weakness No matter how dangerous the Tiger can be it still requires large amounts of manpower resources to deploy. And only one is available to be deployed on the battlefield at any given time per commander. Since it is a slow moving tank it can be easily ambushed by the weaker but faster M10 Tank Destroyer. The M26 Pershing can also be used as a shield for the M10. Large amount of AT weapons and tank fire concentrated on the Tiger could also knock it out. Most Axis Commanders will use Tigers as spearhead to the front, so it is advisable to deploy mines to badly damage it or better, making it immobilized. Tigers are also a tough tank to repair, so it is advisable to take out a Pioneer Squad using snipers and light weapons and then flank it and attack its rear armor. The Tigers armor was engineered to survive the impact of shells, not deflect them, allowing multiple successive hits to land, in contrast to the Hetzer and Jagdpanther where most shells harmlessly deflect. The Tiger is expensive and slow moving and should not be squandered by charging it mindlessly into enemy defenses. Losing a tiger is often a very costly mistake. However, Unlike the King Tiger, it is not a single use ability and can be replaced the instant you lose your current Tiger. Assuming you have the manpower. Tiger Variants If you have the Wehrmacht army with Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts patches (not necessarily the actual game) and access to the Terror Doctrine, then instead of the standard Tiger Ace, you will have the chance to access the ultimate psychological weapon of terror - the King Tiger! Another variant of the Tiger is the Bergetiger, an unusual but highly important armor repairing and recovering vehicle. Variants not included in the game include the Sturmtiger, a Tiger assault gun with more armor and armed with a 380mm naval rocket launcher. Tiger Ace The Tiger Ace commanded by Hauptmann Joseph Schultz in the original Company of Heroes. The Tiger Ace could be deployed with the original Tiger Ace ability (costing 5 command points) in the Terror Doctrine for . This Tiger "variant" was a repainted Tiger, but with various buffs. It had more protection, higher health ( , where normal Tiger has ), higher accuracy by 50%, and penetration buffed by 2x. With later patches the Tiger Ace has been replaced by the King Tiger, and is no longer available in the game. The King Tiger possesses significantly more firepower than the Tiger I, though the king tiger is significantly slower than the Tiger I and unlike the Tiger I which can be replaced once destroyed, The King Tiger can be called in only once. Tiger Tank "205" Tiger is back, as a campaign playable unit in Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor. Instead of playing the Wehrmacht Heer army, the campaign featured a single Tiger tank in which the Axis player can control its turret, direct fire control, switch firing shell types, and purchase and upgrade abilities similar to Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II. This campaign, known as the "Tiger Ace" featured 5 veterans that fought in the Eastern Front and were redeployed to France to engage the Allied forces. The Tiger belongs to the 101st Tigergruppe, and is commanded by Major-General Maximillian Voss (from Opposing Fronts) and Hauptmann Josef Schultz (the antagonist of the original game). This Tiger is based on the real-life Tiger Tank 205, which was commanded by infamous Tiger Ace Michael Wittmann, or "The Black Baron". This tank actually did take part in the battle of Villers-Bocage, where it was falsely reported to have destroyed 20 tanks before being disabled, and the crew did actually escape death, like in the game, though the events are dramatized for gameplay reasons. Quotes "Oh Tiger...She drinks fuel like it's beer...She weights double their tank our fat Tiger!" "Action! We have target..." "Ja! 138 tanks that Wittmann killed...Who can beat that?" "Air strike! Brace yourself!!" "A shot into our side hit the ammo there...See! Kaboom!" "Nein! Tanks' battle is not at all like boxing!" "Bring to bear und feuer!" "A bullet hit it once...bounced off of me with just a scratch...." "Heavy panzer's commission to the front!" "Communication system in order!" "Confirmed! Heavy panzer is weapon-free!" "Direct hit! Enemy is reloading!" "Heavy panzer's reporting effective enemies fire!" "They can't break the frontal armor!" "If you are afraid...you will die....Guaranteed!" "German's steel!" "Turret's traversal! Check the hydraulics!" "Taking direct hits! Requesting support!" "They are trying to sneak around to the sides!" "Stay calm! Keep them in front of us!" "Our Pretty Tiger!...She saved us!" "Their armor...is like toys!" "Tiger on the hunt!" "Tiger's ready to Blitz!" Category:Vehicles Category:Wehrmacht Units Category:Company of Heroes